The stethoscope is an important device utilized in a wide variety of medical fields. Particular examples of commercial stethoscopes include the 3M.TM. Littmann.TM. Master Cardiology and the 3M Littmann.TM. Cardiology II S.E. stethoscopes sold by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. (3M) of St. Paul, Minn. Examples of stethoscopes and stethoscope components are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,108,652; 3,152,659; 3,168,160; 3,168,161; 3,276,536; 3,366,198; 3,504,760; 4,200,269; 4,440,258; 4,475,619 and 5,111,904.
Complete diagnosis of a patient often requires that a physician monitor both low frequency and high frequency sounds associated with, for example, the heart. To conduct a diagnosis, stethoscope head constructions are known which comprise diametrically opposed diaphragm and open bell sides. The open bell side is generally designed to detect low frequency sounds, while the diaphragm side is generally designed to detect high frequency sounds. Dual-sided or "dual head" stethoscopes of this type are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,108,652 (Littmann), 3,152,659 (Littmann), 3,215,224 (Machlup), 3,224,526 (Weber), 3,276,536 (Littmann), 3,303,903 (Speelman), and 3,515,239 (Machlup et al.).
A significant advancement in the stethoscope art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,258 (Packard). That patent discloses a single sided stethoscope head with a suspended diaphragm. Commercially, a suspended diaphragm has also been incorporated on only one side of the 3M Littmann.TM. Cardiology II S.E. stethoscope. That commercial stethoscope includes a first sound collecting side having a suspended diaphragm and a second sound collecting side having an open bell without any diaphragm. Without a suspended diaphragm on the second sound collecting side of the 3M.TM. Littmann.TM. Cardiology II stethoscope, a user cannot make use of the advantages provided by a suspended diaphragm when using the open bell side of that stethoscope.